1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to corrosion protection and in particular to protecting computer hard disk drive components from environmental corrosion during storage and shipment. Still more particularly, the invention relates to environmental corrosion protection for hard disk drive components, such as magnetic read/write heads, by electrothermally activating the heads to raise their temperature above the ambient temperature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a digital data access and storage system for a computer system consists of one or more storage devices that store data on storage media such as magnetic or optical data storage disks. In magnetic disk storage systems, a storage device is called a hard disk drive (HDD), which includes one or more hard disks and an HDD controller to manage local operations concerning the disks. Hard disks are rigid platters, typically made of aluminum alloy or a mixture of glass and ceramic, covered with a magnetic coating. Typically, two or more platters are stacked vertically on a common spindle that is turned by a disk drive motor at several thousand revolutions per minute (rpm).
The only other moving part within a typical HDD is the head assembly. Within most drives, one read/write head is associated with each side of each platter and flies just above or below the platter""s surface. Each read/write head is connected to a semi-rigid arm apparatus which supports the entire head flying unit. More than one of such arms may be utilized together to form a single armature unit.
Each read/write head scans the hard disk platter surface during a xe2x80x9creadxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwritexe2x80x9d operation. The head/arm assembly is moved utilizing an actuator which is often a voice coil motor (VCM). The stator of a VCM is mounted to a base plate or casting on which is also mounted the spindle supporting the disks. The base casting is in turn mounted to a frame via a compliant suspension. When current is fed to the motor, the VCM develops force or torque which is substantially proportional to the applied current. The arm acceleration is therefore substantially proportional to the magnitude of the current. As the read/write head nears the desired track, a reverse polarity signal is applied to the actuator, causing the signal to act as a brake, and ideally causing the read/write head to stop directly over the desired track.
During storage and shipment, some computer systems are exposed to extreme environmental conditions such as high temperatures and high humidity. Under such conditions, the exposed computer components tend to corrode at an accelerated rate compared to components that are stored under normal conditions where the environmental surroundings are substantially maintained at comfortable or ideal levels. Consequently, extended exposure to harsh atmospheres will ultimately hasten the failure of the components. The small magnetic read/write heads in hard disk drives are particularly susceptible to accelerated failure when stored in extreme conditions.
A computer system hard disk drive contains magnetic heads for reading data to and writing data from storage media disks. The heads are coupled to an electrical source that thermally excites the heads during non-operation of the disk drive in order to raise the temperature of the heads. The temperature increase induces a mechanism such as a local, low humidity barrier at each of the heads. When the disk drive is stored in harsh environmental atmospheres, such as high temperatures and high humidity, the mechanism or low humidity barrier is sufficient to overcome the ambient conditions and reduce environmental corrosion of the heads.
Thus, it is an object of the invention is to provide improved corrosion protection.
Another object of the invention is to protect computer hard disk drive components from environmental corrosion during storage and shipment.
Still another object of the invention is to provide environmental corrosion protection for hard disk drive components, such as magnetic read/write heads, by thermally activating the heads in order to raise their temperature above the ambient temperature.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in light of the description which follows.